But Serie doesnt like peace, it's why she didn't want to defeat the Demon king. If she would go out to battle and easily beat the demons then she would end up bringing peace and slowing magic development. Where as Frieren wants/needs to fight the demons because she wants peace
@@netoisthebest Not true, when she heard Macht finally went rogue, she immidiately arrived and went for the kill. Macht only survived because the other mages think they could do somthing about the curse. She doesn't care about weaker Demons but Macht and co are assuredly on her hit list. Given the heaviest hiiters on both sides hadn't showef up on the frontline for thousand of years, likely she and the Demon King had some way to keep each other at bay.
Excluding Frieren for 1000 years is likely to make Frieren one of the most remembered mages. As long as that organization exists it will have to teach it's receptionists to reject Frieren.
That’s a good point. But Goddess help Frieren if she isn’t right outside the organization’s doors to visit Grandma Serie the day after the ban is lifted.
Serie basically chooses based on whether they are afraid of her or not. Everyone who failed was terrified of her power. Except for Frieren. Serie just knows that Frieren doesn't even care about being under her in the first place. Serie and Frieren don't like or hate each other. They view the whole world differently and they just decided not to be a bother to each other. Serie certainly wishes Frieren would join her side. But just accepts that Frieren isn't the same as her.
Frieren is Serie’s rebellious, hippy granddaughter that refuses to settle down with her in the massive organization that she built from the ground up, and instead is content wandering around the world like a vagabond.
Also her garden where she likes spending time She called the magic to make a field of flowers useless, but it looks like she really enjoys looking at it
There’s no other reason for her to constantly complain about taking humans as her apprentices, while also perfectly memorizing her apprentices’ favorite spells, activities, and meals.
I've seen a lot of people say that Serie hasn't had people in her life that helped her like Flamme and Himmel did for Frieren. However, I think that while this may be somewhat true, it's also downplaying their true natures: (1) From what we've seen of Frieren, she has always been a kind and peaceful person. It was the massacre of her village that changed her. Flamme (at the end of her life) and Himmel (throughout their journey) helped her regain/remember that old self. While Serie has been less developed, but just going off of her existing scenes, she treats magic as a tool for killing and sees value in strength for strength's sake. So, I would say that they are still fundamentally different people and see the world differently. (2) Another difference is how they handle their emotions. Frieren is kind of a kuudere. She wasn't originally aware of her feelings for Himmel and the party (hence her cold demeanor), but when she becomes aware, she's pretty honest with her feelings. As opposed to Serie, who probably is aware of her feelings, and yet always puts up a heavy tsundere (mainly just tsun) act.
she wears it with everything around her everyone she cares about is incorporated into her environment from her spell list to the very guarden she lives in
@@mesiagamer5217 Sure, Serie cares about her disciples to some extent. However, not only does she not express that properly to them, but she does the tsun act as well, which probably hurts them at least a little. Just look at Flamme and Lernen. Flamme most likely didn't dislike Serie, but she probably didn't enjoy spending time with her either, even though Serie was a mother-figure and mentor/teacher to her. We know this because Flamme never visited Serie once during her life after the meeting where she introduced Frieren to Serie. That's ~50 years of never visiting your master/foster-mother. There has to be a reason especially for Flamme who was such a wise and caring person. As for Lernen, he has been her disciple for ~50 years, and yet we can easily conclude that he's never been told "I'll remember you" or "I'm proud of you" or similar things from Serie. This has caused him enough anguish that became the reason for him wanting to go down in history by any means (even bad ones), until Frieren managed to set him straight by telling him the truth about Serie and her feelings. Something that Serie failed to do for her own disciple for ~50 years. Comparatively, Frieren was/is already a better master to Fern even though she's much younger and much less experienced in relationships/teaching/etc. Now, you could argue that Serie is cold because of her much longer life or defense mechanisms or other such reasons. But it's still a fact that she comes off as quite cold and we don't actually know for a fact how much of it is inherent to her as a person, and how much was learned through her vast life experiences. My own experience suggests that people rarely if ever change on a fundamental level regardless of how much life experience they get. They may act somewhat differently, but their core is still basically the same. This is also something that Heiter says more or less in the Ep14/Ch29 flashback to Frieren. Finally, please keep this discussion spoiler-free or at least properly give warnings before posting any manga spoilers, and also post them in such a way that it's not immediately visible to all (ie, hide them behind UA-cam's "Read more"), since anime-onlys may end up seeing this as well.
I mean, it's worth noting that Serie taught Flamme. So saying that "Serie hasn't had people in her life that helped her like Flamme" is misleading. Flamme herself said in that flashback that Frieren was different to _both_ Serie and Flamme, that she was a mage who could and would thrive in a world without the Demon Lord. And also, notably, that this was the reason she's defeat the Demon Lord where Serie wouldn't bother and Flamme just couldn't. (Or however the reasoning went, the point is Flamme expected neither of them to take out the Demon Lord.) Now, Himmel's influence on the other hand...that probably did have a sizeable impact on Frieren's mindset and unwillingness to shift her views in line with Serie. Though, the fact that Flamme was noting the divergent mindset 1000 years before Himmel was even born means that he probably helped bring Frieren's philosophies and strong points to her own attention rather than being the inception of such things. Even Flamme probably can't claim too much credit; she was from what I can tell trying to help a young elf onto the path that her master was already walking and _failed spectacularly_ before realizing that her failure was actually probably a good thing. After all, no matter how militant her mindset about magic was, and how unflinchingly underhanded she was willing to be about anything that gave her an edge in combat...she was still the sort of person who most liked to just conjure up a field of flowers and drink in the beauty of the moment. And...well...it's not like Serie took _nothing_ from that relationship, either. Even 1000 years later, she still used that same flower spell to create a magnificent garden for herself, and was as focused on drinking in its beauty as she was in vibe-checking the test-takers. She seems to understand Frieren's point of view perfectly well, she just doesn't think it will help her reach the height of magic and so has (mostly) discarded it. And yet...she can't quite bring herself to fully commit, it seems, because some things are just beautiful enough that inefficiency be damned you've gotta admire them.
I think people will appreciate this arc more once season 2 drops because this arc introduced many characters who will be more relevant in season 2. But from what I've seen people already love this arc. All 136 chapters of frieren so far has been amazing. It is just one great arc after another
I could tell by the way we spent so much time with them that the new characters would be important later on. How does reading the manga affect watching the anime? Should I read the manga?
The impression I got from Serie is that when she says that she is a living grimoire, she meant it literally. That she is more interested in collecting spells than any individual person. I see her proctoring the last test as to view people's potential and ambition. And by that ambition, whether or not they could formulate a new spell.
I just realized for the second test, what made it diabolical was Sense entered the dungeon with them ensuring there would be at least one first level mage to be defeated for the test takers. If there were three powerful mages there would be three powerful clones plus the sense clone...the scale is tipped in favor of the Dungeon.
I mean it was already true even without that considering there were traps too =p And the replica being equally matched does force cooperation already. If anything what it does is put a minimum cap on the power a group would need to be able to pass, if nobody can deal with sense they lose, which, fair enough, having to be able to beat a first class mage in the right conditions seems like a reasonable requirement for becoming one yourself.
Almost immediately after Serie fails Frieren, we are shown the flashback where Frieren delivers Flamme's will to Serie, and we have Serie saying to Frieren that taking 1000 years to make an important decision is no big deal to an elf. And almost in the very next scene we find out that Serie has banned Frieren from entering CMA facilities for exactly 1000 years. The juxtaposition of these two scenes right after the test scene puts an additional perspective on why Serie failed Frieren, which is that both Serie and Frieren, for differing reasons, do not think Frieren gaining the First Class Mage title at this specific moment is important in any way. Serie is basically saying to Frieren "go home, if you change your mind about it, come back in 1000 years and you can have the First Class Mage title then."
It does seem obvious which way Serie wants Frieren to go when that time comes. She wants her granddaughter to give up her wandering ways and settle down with her to help run and expand her budding empire. She’s such a hopeless tsundere.
Very nice video. What I´d seen it as, it´s that while of course it´s a vibe check (Frieren herself says it, Serie will choose based on her instincts, and her instincts are always right), Serie wants whoever manages to become a 1st range mage not to think "ok I´m at the top there´s nothing more to do", she wants people who will keep elevating magic. I think that list you gave of Serie´s criteria is very accurate. She wants people who doesn´t fear her, even if they admit defeat, if they don´t fear her mana, the participants will strive to go higher, Even Methode saying she sees her small and cute is a proof she´s not afraid of her. She wants to see potential of course. She says to Denken "I thought your fire had already burned but you still have it in you", because she thinks Denken can still go higher.
Mana recognition is both a personality test and a capacity test. You have to have the capability to sense her fluctuations first and foremost, then on top of that you have to actually have the nerve to use that capability to assess her. Most other contestant have the nerve, but not the capability. Land has the nerve to think "can I trick her?", Ubel has the nerve to think "can I cut her?", Denken has the nerve to think "can I beat her?". Only Fern did both. Visualisation is important as a human mage, so Serie only gives a pass to the mages that believes (or assume) that they can surpass or at the very least match her in one aspect (trickery, disguise, fight).
When most mages look at Serie, they have one of two thoughts: 1) “What kind of monster is this?!” 2) “Hmm… how can I beat her…?” Those who think the former are immediately failed and dismissed. While the latter, even if only for a moment, think that there’s a chance of winning, and are passed and considered worthy of Serie’s attention. Menthode is an outlier. Either Serie really liked being called cute, or she was the perfect amount of unhinged for Serie to pass her.
@@coltonwilliams4153i dont entirely agree with that. Wirbel definitely thought shes a monster and that he could never beat her. What differentiates him, is he kept his composure. He accepted it as a fact and moved on. Thats why serie gave him a chance by asking him about his favourite spell. To which he gave a satisfying answer to her. One that is rational and combat oriented. Like a battle mage.
I love how much discussion this series has sparked, it's just so cleverly thought out by the author. I'm very happy to live in this time to experience anime of such high caliber.
She also knew that Frieren didn't care to be a "first class mage" as to her it was just an ephemeral title granted by an organization that will change over time and ahe had already secured such a title with that amulet from the holy city that she had. There was just no point in making Frieren a "first class mage".
Excellent review of the Exam arc. While some have criticised this ending, to introduce a brace of new characters, show them in action and how they behave under stress and then they don't have to tell the readers about them. In your face is always more memorable than narrative. There is actually a very serious question involved: Who is right? Frieren or Serie? "For when man has the power to do anything, then anything he will do." - Qifrey WHA 2025
Something interesting to point out that i don't see discussed often is that Serie is able to read people immediately upon meeting them. What strikes me most about Methode's exam isn't that she isn't afraid of Serie or that she finds her cute, it's that Serie has to ask what Methode is thinking about. Being unable to read her as she so confidently did the others has some meaning i would imagine.
Frieren is a great subversion of this new wave of Japanese fantasy (which is itself largely influenced by Western fantasy conventions). Serie is completely utilitarian with her magic, but Frieren's philosophy of kindness and compassion is seen in-universe as quite appealing. It really comes down to one's personal philosophy; there isn't a universal "correct" answer.
In my opinion, the criteria for the last test is very simple: whether you have both the magical capability AND the mental preparedness of being a first class mage. The first one is easy, as most of the people there already proved themselves in the first two exams. The last exam is mainly filtering the second criteria, and it doesn't matter how they does it. You can just be bold (Land), abnormal (Übel), efficiently minded but still try to fight (Denken), can just fight regardless (Wirbel), simply don't care about power level (Methode), or focusing on her weak point instead of her obvious "she's million times stronger than you" magical power (Fern). She don't just want strong mages; she want ones that are actually capable of applying that strength regardless of situation. Even Frieren is no exception (or at least it isn't in her eyes), as she's too lax to use her full potential. It doesn't matter if she's objectively strong anyways, she's a disappointment in her eyes because she could've been so much more. In the first place, first-class mage are defined as mages that received the approval of Serie, which means most of them would be strong mages but their strength actually matters less than what people thought.
Frieren herself even describes herself as a mediocre mage. She hyper focused on mana suppression and killing demons for a 1000 years, but actually she just wants to chill and make flowers or sour grapes for her friends.
Well done. Nitpicking: 1. Feel like you have what it needs to be a first class mage is just visualization. 2. Well the "small and cute" opinion of Serie is not really the criteria; it just is a play over the corner way to express, that Serie's mana does not induce fear in the examinee. they are more like underpoints of visualization.
The second is especially true given how good Methode's mana detection is shown to be in the second test. She was the only one that could find Denken and Fern when they were hiding. On the flip side, it also means she would have been aware of and able to steel herself against Serie's massive mana before any of the other examiniees (barring Frieren, but she's already not intimidated by her - she wasn't even the first time they met).
I'm confused about your nitpick number 1. Are you asserting that visualization is all that's needed to be a first-class-mage? Or are you taking an issue with the video essay making that claim?
@@Diablos-pi2qy Well, I don't have an issue with the video, just that some points under the criteria Serie looks for in first-class mages are visualization just worded differently or boil down to visualization. Like the: "1. Do they feel like a first class mage?" It boils down to can they envision themselves being a first class mage, and another word for "envision" is visualize. Just as Serie says/explains to Kanne: "You can't even visualize yourself becoming a first-class mage. In the world of magic, what you can't envision cannot be." So asking if one feels like X is just a round about way to say can you envision you doing X can you visualize succeeding with X do you "feel confident". So long story short, yes visualization is what is needed to become a first-class mage.
@@Airwave2k2 I have to rewatch the video to double check the criteria. However, I just want to say that while visualization is definitely a must to be a first-class-mage, it's not the only condition for Serie imo. They also have to be decently strong or have enough potential for future growth (and not be Frieren). I doubt that Serie would accept a mage that is lacking in mana, technique, control, but excels at visualization.
A I saw it Serie judges if a person has not only the skills, but also determination and dedication to get to the highest hights of magic and beyond. The reason why Frieren is disqualified is because she's mostly just playing around. She doesn't feel the urge to improve her magic beyond her limits, it's just her hobby kind of.
You should look at Serie's actions instead of her words more, I think. She might talk a lot about efficiency and other stuff, yet she has collected and learned nearly every spell ever discovered. She might prefer to sit on her ass and not interfere directly, but she was a feared demon hunter. Serie dislikes a lot of things, and she did most of those herself at some point in her life. And she had more time than anyone to think about consequences of her decisions. Maybe, except for Kraft. Who also doesn't look overly eager to rush in action and enforce justice, despite having a good heart.
Serie's final test seemed to boil down to anyone who wasn't afraid of her after seeing her mana, and/or dared to challenge her after seeing her mana. The other questions were just to supplement her understanding of the states of mind like how she thought Fern was afraid of her (stating Fern is just like everybody else), but later learned she was actually seeing her fluctuations and not afraid of her. People who were clearly intent on fighting her like Ubel passed right away. People Serie were uncertain of their intentions like the girl who thought she was small and cute were questioned so Serie can understand their thoughts like she did with Fern. As long as they weren't afraid of her mana they would have passed no matter how they answered the question just like how Frieren would have failed now matter how she answered.
Serie's checking to see how well people will handle threats that are beyond them, their self confidence, and if they'll be able to handle the pressure of living as a 1st class mage. If they're intimidated by her, they fail. If they can't even picture themselves as a first class mage after passing the two tests before getting a surprise third test, they fail.
Serie isn't like a version of Frieren, that never met Himmel. She is like a Version of Frieren, that never spoke with anyone, including her own apprentice Flamme. Because it's Flamme, that gave the spark for Frierens character development.
Everyone, including Serie undercut's Frieren. She is the preeminent abjurer in that universe. She has quite literally identified and countered cureses that should have required goddess magic or were beyond even it's capacity. Frieren is the best dispeller in her world.
1) Freiren's favorite spell is demon killing version of Zotrak, not creating Flowers 2) Freiren is on her Journey cause Flamel told her to Series problem with Frieren is she is still living in her Master's shadow (which would be hard to shake cause she saved her life and turn her into a Demon Slayer...basically groomed from waist high to shoulder high by Flamel into a yesman killer)
No one really understanded the First Class Mage Exam, it's not just a tournament to be the greatest mage ever but is also a way to make connections with other mages and learn from each others, cooperating to surpass the obstacles and everyone wants to realize their goals in the exam. I consider this arc one of the bests in Frieren, not the best ever but one of them.
I also think it is important to separate what Serie says with what she does. She *says* that Frieren is wasting her time and effort learning how to suppress her magic aura, yet SHE DOES THE VERY SAME THING. She gives the impression that she barely cares about her apprentices, yet she remembers all of their favorite spells and apparently many other tidbits about them. She tells Frieren that she can't be a 1st Class Mage, but Frieren is the one who trained Fern, and she is very impressed with Fern's potential. Interesting, isn't it?
Well technically Serie doesn't see hiding mana to deceive one's enemy completely useless since it's clearly a technique almost purely for combat. That's why Serie herself "wasted" enough time to be able to do it even better than Frieren, despite having a much larger mana pool to hide. And though this is just my headcannon, it is probably something Serie taught to Flamme before Flamme passed it down to Frieren, both masters doing so as a combat skill.
Frieren not knowing that Serie is suppressing her mana mean that Serie was already suppressing it when Frieren met her 1000 years ago so yes she don't think that it's useless. It's probably Serie who told this magic to Flamme too I think
It could be the reverse. Just as the flower making magic, Flamme gave Serie enough impression that Serie is looking back at her fondly and decide to take up both spells as a way to try to "understand" Flamme. In a sense, Flamme is like Himmel to Frieren. However, Frieren decides to trace the humanity of Himmel while Serie is stuck tracing only the magic of Flamme.
@@pouf6463 I'm pretty sure Frieren knows that Serie is suppressing her mana. She's simply chosen not to comment on it. After all, Serie's suppressed mana is equal to Frieren's unsuppressed mana, and Frieren knows that Serie's true mana is much greater than her own.
The thing that Serie said was inefficient wasn't just hiding your mana. Hiding your mana temporarily during battle so your opponent has trouble tracking your movement or telling where and when an attack is coming from is a pretty standard combat tactic (which we in fact see Serie use in battle later in the manga). What Serie called inefficient was suppressing your mana ALL THE TIME and honing your skill at it to the point where even Demons can't tell that you are doing it. But the context of how she said it also matters. Because in the very next sentence after pronouncing that it was "inefficient" she goes on to say that it helped Frieren kill more demons. And what is Frieren most famous for? Killing the freakin DEMON KING. So just as with a lot of other things Serie has said, she said one thing out loud but immediately implied the very opposite with the next words out of her mouth. Another aspect of Serie's words on this subject is the context of who she is talking to. Namely her assembled First Class Mage students, and Lernen specifically. And she is basically telling them that to get as good as Frieren is at mana suppression takes longer than a human lifetime of training, unless you happen to be born with some innate talent at it to begin with. So she's also in Teacher Mode, basically telling her students not to try to copy Frieren, because it isn't practically achievable for a regular human being with a regular human lifespan.
I don't agree that Serie is Frieren minus Himmel. Frieren and Serie were never on the same page, even from their first meeting 1000-ish years ago. She already passed and then failed the 1st class exam when she refused Serie's offer of a free spell. And since her reason for failing hasn't changed in 1000 years, of course she doesn't pass the exam this time either.
Serie never learned how to make meaningful bonds like Freiren did. While Freiren learned and will keep on learning. Himmel made her interested in truly learning about people. Freiren even called her out as an oldest child she ever met.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN FERN DIDN'T BEAT ANOTHER MAGE IN A CRAZY ONE TO ONE FIGHT?! Fern killed Frieren's clone, and even in a 2 on 1 that's MIRACULOUS, because Frieren's DYING CLONE crushed Fern against the wall with a spell Fern couldn't even recognize as a spell because Frieren is that far beyond almost everyone.
No, it is an interesting take, but it falls short. Frieren was obviously changed by her time with Himmel and the rest of the party. But Serie and Frieren were at odds, philosophically from their introduction to each other by Flamme.
I was fine with the final exam explanation for everyone except Frieren herself which ruined the arc's finale for me. Serie predeterminedly denying Frieren saying she isn't fit while simultaneously saying the only reason everyone else made it that far was due to Frieren's involvement undermines any value of the final exam for me. It would have made more sense if Serie outright denied Frieren from taking part in the final exam to keep the logic she uses to judge the others intact. She said the "failures" couldn't imagine beating her or were scared by her aura. One mage passed because she thought Serie was cute, another because she was willing to fight, another because he didn't immediately give up even though it seemed hopeless, and the ultimately Fern because she can see mana fluctuations better than others. They try to justify this by saying Serie is never wrong, but she has been countless times, she said Freiren wouldn't be an accomplished mage because of her love of "Useless" spells yet Frieren is one of the most well known mages with a title of "The last Great Mage". Serie says mana suppression is pointless yet she is impressed that Fern noticed it and is disappointed when her other pupils cannot notice it, if its useless as she says it wouldnt be a metric to judge people by. Even in the exam arc itself Serie was the only one to say Freiren is the only reason so many made it that far yet she later admits that wasn't the case. She is constantly wrong in just the handful of episodes we do see her in. The fact the show makes a big deal about her knowledge and judgement yet simultaneously disproves it is astounding. Like another already first class mage that couldn't imagine Serie's shield being destroyed showing he doesnt think Serie can be defeated.... the ones she already let be first class don't meet her standards. Frieren can imagine beating Serie as she succeeded in the destruction of her shield in the first exam showing Frieren meets Serie's requirements in every way in talent, skill, magic knowledge, and ultimately the will to succeed, yet she still denies Frieren's qualification. This intense, senseless bias of Serie's undermines the value of her own words and logic. Again the final exam was completely ruined from the viewers standpoint due to this large flaw in the exam. Sorry for the essay, I know its just the opinion of one random person just voicing my thoughts.
I always interpreted it as Serie simply weighing frieren on a whole different scale from the other participants. She simply is just not as strong as she SHOULD be for her age. Serie herself is suppressing her mana and the sheer size of it is incredibly massive despite that. And for that, she was failed.
your script writing is really good, and I agree with your analysis but, and I hope this is taken as criticism not as an insult, your musical implementation is distracting, specifically playing multiple songs on top of each other and the hard cuts from one song to another (in the middle of a song) takes me out of the experience. It made me want to click away from your video at its worst points. I am subscribing and I hope to see your channel grow in the future,
Denkin didn't call magic a tool for combat, that was Wirbel. It's quite possible he would have agreed with that statement, especially when younger. (Minor detail in a very good video)
I think that you have actually missed a few things. For example, Serie is really just Frieren in another 1-10,000 years. She mocks Frieren for suppressing her mana... yet you seem to have missed that she herself is doing the exact same thing, something that only Fern notices. I feel like you are missing part of the similarity of the two. Another point might simply be that Serie's Himmel is 10,000 years in the past. The end of the second test actually illuminates a bit of why Serie might have failed Frieren. Take one more thought from this. Frieren has spent the last 1000 years collecting spells... but what does Serie already have? ALL THE SPELLS! it's very very telling that Frieren is out doing exactly what Serie has already achieved. So I feel like your premise here is misplaced. The difference between the two is not that they approach magic differently, it is that they are at different places along that path.
i still think it was a very arbitrary and mediocre ending, it would've been a fine plot piece to introduce serie, but as the ending? did not feel great to me. a vetting process for a final test makes no sense, that should be the first step. but i appreciate the perspective
I just want to give you some hopefully constructive critiscism. You sometimes layer two songs over one another (like in 7:20-7:36), it happens 4-5 times. It really confused me and made your voice really hard to understand. The music imo also changes far too quickly. Really liked your analysis :)
serie being a foil to frieren is something I never really thought about. it was mostly just a grudge holding, antagonizing, different person. But saying that serie is just a frieren who never met Himmel just clicks so well. There's a sense of goofy emotionally humanity in Frieren's character that only seems to exist because of the goofy antics she witnessed with her old party. Zuri never had that. Oddly enough... I think serie wouldn't even pass herself by her own standards. She lacks the introspection and confidence that most everyone else exhibits to her. Serie seems to believe what she does about magic and its purpose, not because she wants to believe it, but because it is the thing that makes the most sense to her. She's at a loss as to why people ahve favorite spells, just how frieren is at a loss as to why Serie doesn't. That uncertainty, or at least the settling for what only makes logical sense to Serie, is what disqualifies her from being a first class mage. Just thought. Great video!
I don't think you understand that last test was supposed to be a 1v1 fighting but because of frieren it was changed because most participants would just die, they passed first 2 tests only because frieren was there
It is NEVER stated that it was meant to be 1v1 battles. Only that the final exam is typically too dangerous for people who have managed to pass the first two by being carried by another persons greater skill.
Who passed the first test because of Frieren? Only Kanne and Lawine. And in the 2nd test Frieren's clone wouldn't have been there. Frieren didn't lead anyone to the bottom of the dungeon, everyone who made it there did it on their own.
@@MrSkinnyWhaleYou're forgetting the very fact that everyone else was on the verge of being defeated by their own clones while Frieren was dealing with her clone. Since none of the others actually faced Frieren's clone in battle, then even if you removed Frieren and her clone from the exam, it would still mean that most of the others would probably have still lost.
@syd.a.m but the only reason they were still fighting the clones at that point was because they had to give Frieren and Fern time. They had already made it to the bottom prior to that.
@@MrSkinnyWhale Yes, but in that case, the defense of the Spiegel's room would have been different. Perhaps it would be Denken, Sense, and Fern's clones protecting the room, or perhaps it would have been defended in an entirely different way. Regardless, in a battle of attrition, many of the examinees would have died since the clones can just respawn. Almost everyone passed this time because there was someone strong enough to break through to the Spiegel's room and stop the respawning, and even then it was a close one. Remove Frieren and her clone and the result might be different, with possibly even less people having passed.
Wow...I feel like you are off on a lot but we all see things differently. I really dislike your opinions of Serie here and the selection criteria you chose...I think you've misread her and the 3rd test qualifications write a bit. One thing I do agree with you on is that Serie doesn't approve of the type of mage Frieren is. Not because she holds a grudge but because she considers her to be a mage that has wasted her potential. She's sort of like a disapproving parent who wanted you to become a doctor but instead you decided to grow your hair long, move into the forest, wear a loin cloth and eat off the land while singing Kumbaya. She doesn't disrespect or even dislike Frieren, she doesn't respect her choices, which is a completely different thing. She flat out says that Frieren is relatively unskilled despite her age which is what frustrates her most. People will disagree with that assessment of Frieren but it's true and even Frieren agrees with her. She even tells Fern that Serie's intuition is always right. She knows what heights Frieren could attain if she had been more ambitious and it clearly bothers her. Your criteria list 1. Of course the level of skill was considered in passing the third test in addition to her intuition. Some may forget that Serie has been able to oversee each of these mages throughout their tests just as she knew it was Frieren and who took down her barrier and how she knew Land wasn't only not there, but at home and even more specifically, drinking tea. As, Frieren says her intuition is always correct which is why she is able to pass or fail so easily. Observing how they performed in their tests was part one, how they reacted in her presence was certainly another. I am assuming you are joking about your #2 criteria but in the event you were serious, no, Serie didn't approve Methode because she thought she was small and cute. Methode was approved because of her skill and confidence in Serie's presence. That comment if anything made Serie shake her head in disbelief. 3 & 5 I have no issue with. 4. Possibly but I doubt whether they agree or disagree with her is a factor. She passed several that didn't appear to have similarities or agreement with her way of thinking at all. Besides the whole mischaracterization of her puts that into question. You mentioned that she's placed herself above all others to oversee magic as if it's something that she was doing for ego, this wants worship or fame but you forget that Flamme asked her to take on that role in her will and years later she's honoring it. It only took her 1,000yrs of stubbornly refusing to do so. 6 is just funny. 😂
I thought it was the weakest part of the whole series. I'm aware of the underlying spiritual enlightened master principles that the writer obviously used. The west is forgetting these that are well known in the east.
Of course she can't. Because she has no ambition whatsoever to become one. It is very clear that the title means nothing to Frieren and she only joins to alleviate pressure from Fern. From the very beginning it was about Fern becoming a first class mage, not Frieren. Frieren and Serie are pretty much equals, just in different fields. Frieren becoming a first class mage would actually devalue her because it would put her below Serie.
It seems you didn´t understand the character, or the story, at all. Serie is hugely disappointed of Frieren. She would have, being a long lived elf, the potential to follow in her footsteps, but instead Frieren, in Series eyes, "wasted" her life living in the woods and collecting "useless" spells. That doesn´t mean Serie, or Frieren, is right in what they´re doing, they are just completely different characters. Frieren doesn´t even care becoming a first class mage and Serie knows that very well. I enjoy Serie very much as a character, because she´s so complex.
And yet, Serie seems jealous of Frieren,her deeds contradict serie's view of magic and she seems to unassumingly long for a connection like frieren have with Fern. Frieren is theorically weaker but became a legendary mage and is a better teacher, like Flamme..
Serie wants to use magic for war while she sits on her ass. Frieren wants to use magic for peace while she slays demons.
Well, spoilers ahead - Serie claps some strongest demons
Because only demons of Sage level could give her any challenge.
Once a demon of that caliber appeared she went out and killed it with her all
Serie is the hikkikomori delusional chuunibyou Ranked 1 LoL player while Frieren is the grass toucher who keeps picking up Ws IRL
But Serie doesnt like peace, it's why she didn't want to defeat the Demon king. If she would go out to battle and easily beat the demons then she would end up bringing peace and slowing magic development. Where as Frieren wants/needs to fight the demons because she wants peace
@@netoisthebest
Not true, when she heard Macht finally went rogue, she immidiately arrived and went for the kill. Macht only survived because the other mages think they could do somthing about the curse.
She doesn't care about weaker Demons but Macht and co are assuredly on her hit list.
Given the heaviest hiiters on both sides hadn't showef up on the frontline for thousand of years, likely she and the Demon King had some way to keep each other at bay.
Excluding Frieren for 1000 years is likely to make Frieren one of the most remembered mages. As long as that organization exists it will have to teach it's receptionists to reject Frieren.
It is serve as protection from another broken Exam
That’s a good point. But Goddess help Frieren if she isn’t right outside the organization’s doors to visit Grandma Serie the day after the ban is lifted.
@@coltonwilliams4153 century or two after the ban is lifted. Remember they operate on Elf Time.
@@Алексей545-т6б or just given her the class 1 cert still dose the same thing.
Serie basically chooses based on whether they are afraid of her or not. Everyone who failed was terrified of her power. Except for Frieren. Serie just knows that Frieren doesn't even care about being under her in the first place. Serie and Frieren don't like or hate each other. They view the whole world differently and they just decided not to be a bother to each other. Serie certainly wishes Frieren would join her side. But just accepts that Frieren isn't the same as her.
Basically cats.
@@felixtoulgoat3185 Not a coincidence they both make the cat face.
Frieren is Serie’s rebellious, hippy granddaughter that refuses to settle down with her in the massive organization that she built from the ground up, and instead is content wandering around the world like a vagabond.
I would ad the word "begrudgingly" before accepts, but pretty much.
Must've had some mixed feelings watching Frieren play such a large role in zoltrack research given how that seems right up Serie's alley.
Serie is a tsundere, she supresses her own magic herself. So she calls it useless but uses it herself.
truuuuuuu..... hadn't thought of that
Also her garden where she likes spending time
She called the magic to make a field of flowers useless, but it looks like she really enjoys looking at it
@@Phoenix77989 u know... dang..
You start digging a little you find all this character development 😆
There’s no other reason for her to constantly complain about taking humans as her apprentices, while also perfectly memorizing her apprentices’ favorite spells, activities, and meals.
I've seen a lot of people say that Serie hasn't had people in her life that helped her like Flamme and Himmel did for Frieren. However, I think that while this may be somewhat true, it's also downplaying their true natures:
(1) From what we've seen of Frieren, she has always been a kind and peaceful person. It was the massacre of her village that changed her. Flamme (at the end of her life) and Himmel (throughout their journey) helped her regain/remember that old self. While Serie has been less developed, but just going off of her existing scenes, she treats magic as a tool for killing and sees value in strength for strength's sake. So, I would say that they are still fundamentally different people and see the world differently.
(2) Another difference is how they handle their emotions. Frieren is kind of a kuudere. She wasn't originally aware of her feelings for Himmel and the party (hence her cold demeanor), but when she becomes aware, she's pretty honest with her feelings. As opposed to Serie, who probably is aware of her feelings, and yet always puts up a heavy tsundere (mainly just tsun) act.
she wears it with everything around her everyone she cares about is incorporated into her environment from her spell list to the very guarden she lives in
@@mesiagamer5217 Sure, Serie cares about her disciples to some extent. However, not only does she not express that properly to them, but she does the tsun act as well, which probably hurts them at least a little. Just look at Flamme and Lernen.
Flamme most likely didn't dislike Serie, but she probably didn't enjoy spending time with her either, even though Serie was a mother-figure and mentor/teacher to her. We know this because Flamme never visited Serie once during her life after the meeting where she introduced Frieren to Serie. That's ~50 years of never visiting your master/foster-mother. There has to be a reason especially for Flamme who was such a wise and caring person.
As for Lernen, he has been her disciple for ~50 years, and yet we can easily conclude that he's never been told "I'll remember you" or "I'm proud of you" or similar things from Serie. This has caused him enough anguish that became the reason for him wanting to go down in history by any means (even bad ones), until Frieren managed to set him straight by telling him the truth about Serie and her feelings. Something that Serie failed to do for her own disciple for ~50 years. Comparatively, Frieren was/is already a better master to Fern even though she's much younger and much less experienced in relationships/teaching/etc.
Now, you could argue that Serie is cold because of her much longer life or defense mechanisms or other such reasons. But it's still a fact that she comes off as quite cold and we don't actually know for a fact how much of it is inherent to her as a person, and how much was learned through her vast life experiences. My own experience suggests that people rarely if ever change on a fundamental level regardless of how much life experience they get. They may act somewhat differently, but their core is still basically the same. This is also something that Heiter says more or less in the Ep14/Ch29 flashback to Frieren.
Finally, please keep this discussion spoiler-free or at least properly give warnings before posting any manga spoilers, and also post them in such a way that it's not immediately visible to all (ie, hide them behind UA-cam's "Read more"), since anime-onlys may end up seeing this as well.
I mean, it's worth noting that Serie taught Flamme. So saying that "Serie hasn't had people in her life that helped her like Flamme" is misleading. Flamme herself said in that flashback that Frieren was different to _both_ Serie and Flamme, that she was a mage who could and would thrive in a world without the Demon Lord. And also, notably, that this was the reason she's defeat the Demon Lord where Serie wouldn't bother and Flamme just couldn't. (Or however the reasoning went, the point is Flamme expected neither of them to take out the Demon Lord.)
Now, Himmel's influence on the other hand...that probably did have a sizeable impact on Frieren's mindset and unwillingness to shift her views in line with Serie. Though, the fact that Flamme was noting the divergent mindset 1000 years before Himmel was even born means that he probably helped bring Frieren's philosophies and strong points to her own attention rather than being the inception of such things. Even Flamme probably can't claim too much credit; she was from what I can tell trying to help a young elf onto the path that her master was already walking and _failed spectacularly_ before realizing that her failure was actually probably a good thing. After all, no matter how militant her mindset about magic was, and how unflinchingly underhanded she was willing to be about anything that gave her an edge in combat...she was still the sort of person who most liked to just conjure up a field of flowers and drink in the beauty of the moment.
And...well...it's not like Serie took _nothing_ from that relationship, either. Even 1000 years later, she still used that same flower spell to create a magnificent garden for herself, and was as focused on drinking in its beauty as she was in vibe-checking the test-takers. She seems to understand Frieren's point of view perfectly well, she just doesn't think it will help her reach the height of magic and so has (mostly) discarded it. And yet...she can't quite bring herself to fully commit, it seems, because some things are just beautiful enough that inefficiency be damned you've gotta admire them.
@@ThePCguy17 Very well put. Thank you for sharing. I enjoyed reading it. :)
I think people will appreciate this arc more once season 2 drops because this arc introduced many characters who will be more relevant in season 2. But from what I've seen people already love this arc. All 136 chapters of frieren so far has been amazing. It is just one great arc after another
I could tell by the way we spent so much time with them that the new characters would be important later on.
How does reading the manga affect watching the anime? Should I read the manga?
The impression I got from Serie is that when she says that she is a living grimoire, she meant it literally. That she is more interested in collecting spells than any individual person. I see her proctoring the last test as to view people's potential and ambition. And by that ambition, whether or not they could formulate a new spell.
Not sure I agree, but that does fit in with later info we get about why Frieren collects spells instead of making new ones.
I just realized for the second test, what made it diabolical was Sense entered the dungeon with them ensuring there would be at least one first level mage to be defeated for the test takers. If there were three powerful mages there would be three powerful clones plus the sense clone...the scale is tipped in favor of the Dungeon.
I mean it was already true even without that considering there were traps too =p
And the replica being equally matched does force cooperation already.
If anything what it does is put a minimum cap on the power a group would need to be able to pass, if nobody can deal with sense they lose, which, fair enough, having to be able to beat a first class mage in the right conditions seems like a reasonable requirement for becoming one yourself.
Under normal circumstances, senses clone would be were frierens clone stood.
"In order to become a first class mage, one must be able to overcome both adversity and unfairness. Frankly, this qualifies as neither." -Sense
Almost immediately after Serie fails Frieren, we are shown the flashback where Frieren delivers Flamme's will to Serie, and we have Serie saying to Frieren that taking 1000 years to make an important decision is no big deal to an elf. And almost in the very next scene we find out that Serie has banned Frieren from entering CMA facilities for exactly 1000 years. The juxtaposition of these two scenes right after the test scene puts an additional perspective on why Serie failed Frieren, which is that both Serie and Frieren, for differing reasons, do not think Frieren gaining the First Class Mage title at this specific moment is important in any way. Serie is basically saying to Frieren "go home, if you change your mind about it, come back in 1000 years and you can have the First Class Mage title then."
It does seem obvious which way Serie wants Frieren to go when that time comes. She wants her granddaughter to give up her wandering ways and settle down with her to help run and expand her budding empire. She’s such a hopeless tsundere.
Very nice video. What I´d seen it as, it´s that while of course it´s a vibe check (Frieren herself says it, Serie will choose based on her instincts, and her instincts are always right), Serie wants whoever manages to become a 1st range mage not to think "ok I´m at the top there´s nothing more to do", she wants people who will keep elevating magic. I think that list you gave of Serie´s criteria is very accurate. She wants people who doesn´t fear her, even if they admit defeat, if they don´t fear her mana, the participants will strive to go higher, Even Methode saying she sees her small and cute is a proof she´s not afraid of her. She wants to see potential of course. She says to Denken "I thought your fire had already burned but you still have it in you", because she thinks Denken can still go higher.
Mana recognition is both a personality test and a capacity test. You have to have the capability to sense her fluctuations first and foremost, then on top of that you have to actually have the nerve to use that capability to assess her.
Most other contestant have the nerve, but not the capability. Land has the nerve to think "can I trick her?", Ubel has the nerve to think "can I cut her?", Denken has the nerve to think "can I beat her?". Only Fern did both.
Visualisation is important as a human mage, so Serie only gives a pass to the mages that believes (or assume) that they can surpass or at the very least match her in one aspect (trickery, disguise, fight).
When most mages look at Serie, they have one of two thoughts: 1) “What kind of monster is this?!” 2) “Hmm… how can I beat her…?” Those who think the former are immediately failed and dismissed. While the latter, even if only for a moment, think that there’s a chance of winning, and are passed and considered worthy of Serie’s attention.
Menthode is an outlier. Either Serie really liked being called cute, or she was the perfect amount of unhinged for Serie to pass her.
@@coltonwilliams4153i dont entirely agree with that.
Wirbel definitely thought shes a monster and that he could never beat her.
What differentiates him, is he kept his composure. He accepted it as a fact and moved on.
Thats why serie gave him a chance by asking him about his favourite spell.
To which he gave a satisfying answer to her. One that is rational and combat oriented.
Like a battle mage.
I love how much discussion this series has sparked, it's just so cleverly thought out by the author. I'm very happy to live in this time to experience anime of such high caliber.
She also knew that Frieren didn't care to be a "first class mage" as to her it was just an ephemeral title granted by an organization that will change over time and ahe had already secured such a title with that amulet from the holy city that she had. There was just no point in making Frieren a "first class mage".
I think you hit the nail on the head.
Excellent review of the Exam arc. While some have criticised this ending, to introduce a brace of new characters, show them in action and how they behave under stress and then they don't have to tell the readers about them. In your face is always more memorable than narrative. There is actually a very serious question involved: Who is right? Frieren or Serie? "For when man has the power to do anything, then anything he will do." - Qifrey WHA 2025
Something interesting to point out that i don't see discussed often is that Serie is able to read people immediately upon meeting them. What strikes me most about Methode's exam isn't that she isn't afraid of Serie or that she finds her cute, it's that Serie has to ask what Methode is thinking about. Being unable to read her as she so confidently did the others has some meaning i would imagine.
With Fern she thought she was scared though. Serie had to actually ask as well.
Frieren is a great subversion of this new wave of Japanese fantasy (which is itself largely influenced by Western fantasy conventions). Serie is completely utilitarian with her magic, but Frieren's philosophy of kindness and compassion is seen in-universe as quite appealing. It really comes down to one's personal philosophy; there isn't a universal "correct" answer.
In my opinion, the criteria for the last test is very simple: whether you have both the magical capability AND the mental preparedness of being a first class mage. The first one is easy, as most of the people there already proved themselves in the first two exams. The last exam is mainly filtering the second criteria, and it doesn't matter how they does it. You can just be bold (Land), abnormal (Übel), efficiently minded but still try to fight (Denken), can just fight regardless (Wirbel), simply don't care about power level (Methode), or focusing on her weak point instead of her obvious "she's million times stronger than you" magical power (Fern). She don't just want strong mages; she want ones that are actually capable of applying that strength regardless of situation.
Even Frieren is no exception (or at least it isn't in her eyes), as she's too lax to use her full potential. It doesn't matter if she's objectively strong anyways, she's a disappointment in her eyes because she could've been so much more. In the first place, first-class mage are defined as mages that received the approval of Serie, which means most of them would be strong mages but their strength actually matters less than what people thought.
Frieren herself even describes herself as a mediocre mage.
She hyper focused on mana suppression and killing demons for a 1000 years, but actually she just wants to chill and make flowers or sour grapes for her friends.
Well done.
Nitpicking:
1. Feel like you have what it needs to be a first class mage is just visualization.
2. Well the "small and cute" opinion of Serie is not really the criteria; it just is a play over the corner way to express, that Serie's mana does not induce fear in the examinee.
they are more like underpoints of visualization.
The second is especially true given how good Methode's mana detection is shown to be in the second test. She was the only one that could find Denken and Fern when they were hiding.
On the flip side, it also means she would have been aware of and able to steel herself against Serie's massive mana before any of the other examiniees (barring Frieren, but she's already not intimidated by her - she wasn't even the first time they met).
I'm confused about your nitpick number 1. Are you asserting that visualization is all that's needed to be a first-class-mage? Or are you taking an issue with the video essay making that claim?
@@Diablos-pi2qy Well, I don't have an issue with the video, just that some points under the criteria Serie looks for in first-class mages are visualization just worded differently or boil down to visualization. Like the: "1. Do they feel like a first class mage?" It boils down to can they envision themselves being a first class mage, and another word for "envision" is visualize. Just as Serie says/explains to Kanne: "You can't even visualize yourself becoming a first-class mage. In the world of magic, what you can't envision cannot be." So asking if one feels like X is just a round about way to say can you envision you doing X can you visualize succeeding with X do you "feel confident". So long story short, yes visualization is what is needed to become a first-class mage.
@@Airwave2k2 I have to rewatch the video to double check the criteria. However, I just want to say that while visualization is definitely a must to be a first-class-mage, it's not the only condition for Serie imo. They also have to be decently strong or have enough potential for future growth (and not be Frieren).
I doubt that Serie would accept a mage that is lacking in mana, technique, control, but excels at visualization.
Methode simply can't be read or predicted. She had lots of specializations. That's what led Serie to ask what Methode thinks of her.
A I saw it Serie judges if a person has not only the skills, but also determination and dedication to get to the highest hights of magic and beyond. The reason why Frieren is disqualified is because she's mostly just playing around. She doesn't feel the urge to improve her magic beyond her limits, it's just her hobby kind of.
"slows it down" and then proceded to give us the freren v freren fight
You should look at Serie's actions instead of her words more, I think.
She might talk a lot about efficiency and other stuff, yet she has collected and learned nearly every spell ever discovered. She might prefer to sit on her ass and not interfere directly, but she was a feared demon hunter.
Serie dislikes a lot of things, and she did most of those herself at some point in her life. And she had more time than anyone to think about consequences of her decisions.
Maybe, except for Kraft. Who also doesn't look overly eager to rush in action and enforce justice, despite having a good heart.
Serie's final test seemed to boil down to anyone who wasn't afraid of her after seeing her mana, and/or dared to challenge her after seeing her mana. The other questions were just to supplement her understanding of the states of mind like how she thought Fern was afraid of her (stating Fern is just like everybody else), but later learned she was actually seeing her fluctuations and not afraid of her.
People who were clearly intent on fighting her like Ubel passed right away.
People Serie were uncertain of their intentions like the girl who thought she was small and cute were questioned so Serie can understand their thoughts like she did with Fern.
As long as they weren't afraid of her mana they would have passed no matter how they answered the question just like how Frieren would have failed now matter how she answered.
Serie's checking to see how well people will handle threats that are beyond them, their self confidence, and if they'll be able to handle the pressure of living as a 1st class mage.
If they're intimidated by her, they fail. If they can't even picture themselves as a first class mage after passing the two tests before getting a surprise third test, they fail.
Serie isn't like a version of Frieren, that never met Himmel. She is like a Version of Frieren, that never spoke with anyone, including her own apprentice Flamme. Because it's Flamme, that gave the spark for Frierens character development.
6:03 poor Wirbel. Denken got all the credits 😂
Everyone, including Serie undercut's Frieren. She is the preeminent abjurer in that universe. She has quite literally identified and countered cureses that should have required goddess magic or were beyond even it's capacity.
Frieren is the best dispeller in her world.
Fantastic analysis, and outstanding jokes too. What a great video!
Thanks!
1) Freiren's favorite spell is demon killing version of Zotrak, not creating Flowers
2) Freiren is on her Journey cause Flamel told her to
Series problem with Frieren is she is still living in her Master's shadow (which would be hard to shake cause she saved her life and turn her into a Demon Slayer...basically groomed from waist high to shoulder high by Flamel into a yesman killer)
LMAO. Are you sure you are watching the right anime?
Great analysis on a great arc. Love it
No one really understanded the First Class Mage Exam, it's not just a tournament to be the greatest mage ever but is also a way to make connections with other mages and learn from each others, cooperating to surpass the obstacles and everyone wants to realize their goals in the exam. I consider this arc one of the bests in Frieren, not the best ever but one of them.
Serie is just bitter that it was Frieren who beat the Demon Lord and not someone from the Not-Frieren-Club.
I also think it is important to separate what Serie says with what she does. She *says* that Frieren is wasting her time and effort learning how to suppress her magic aura, yet SHE DOES THE VERY SAME THING. She gives the impression that she barely cares about her apprentices, yet she remembers all of their favorite spells and apparently many other tidbits about them. She tells Frieren that she can't be a 1st Class Mage, but Frieren is the one who trained Fern, and she is very impressed with Fern's potential. Interesting, isn't it?
Well technically Serie doesn't see hiding mana to deceive one's enemy completely useless since it's clearly a technique almost purely for combat.
That's why Serie herself "wasted" enough time to be able to do it even better than Frieren, despite having a much larger mana pool to hide.
And though this is just my headcannon, it is probably something Serie taught to Flamme before Flamme passed it down to Frieren, both masters doing so as a combat skill.
Frieren not knowing that Serie is suppressing her mana mean that Serie was already suppressing it when Frieren met her 1000 years ago so yes she don't think that it's useless.
It's probably Serie who told this magic to Flamme too I think
Im pretty sure we know that Serie and Frieren started doing this because of Flamme. Not the other way around.
It could be the reverse. Just as the flower making magic, Flamme gave Serie enough impression that Serie is looking back at her fondly and decide to take up both spells as a way to try to "understand" Flamme. In a sense, Flamme is like Himmel to Frieren. However, Frieren decides to trace the humanity of Himmel while Serie is stuck tracing only the magic of Flamme.
@@pouf6463 I'm pretty sure Frieren knows that Serie is suppressing her mana. She's simply chosen not to comment on it. After all, Serie's suppressed mana is equal to Frieren's unsuppressed mana, and Frieren knows that Serie's true mana is much greater than her own.
The thing that Serie said was inefficient wasn't just hiding your mana. Hiding your mana temporarily during battle so your opponent has trouble tracking your movement or telling where and when an attack is coming from is a pretty standard combat tactic (which we in fact see Serie use in battle later in the manga). What Serie called inefficient was suppressing your mana ALL THE TIME and honing your skill at it to the point where even Demons can't tell that you are doing it. But the context of how she said it also matters. Because in the very next sentence after pronouncing that it was "inefficient" she goes on to say that it helped Frieren kill more demons. And what is Frieren most famous for? Killing the freakin DEMON KING. So just as with a lot of other things Serie has said, she said one thing out loud but immediately implied the very opposite with the next words out of her mouth.
Another aspect of Serie's words on this subject is the context of who she is talking to. Namely her assembled First Class Mage students, and Lernen specifically. And she is basically telling them that to get as good as Frieren is at mana suppression takes longer than a human lifetime of training, unless you happen to be born with some innate talent at it to begin with. So she's also in Teacher Mode, basically telling her students not to try to copy Frieren, because it isn't practically achievable for a regular human being with a regular human lifespan.
I don't agree that Serie is Frieren minus Himmel. Frieren and Serie were never on the same page, even from their first meeting 1000-ish years ago. She already passed and then failed the 1st class exam when she refused Serie's offer of a free spell. And since her reason for failing hasn't changed in 1000 years, of course she doesn't pass the exam this time either.
Serie never learned how to make meaningful bonds like Freiren did. While Freiren learned and will keep on learning. Himmel made her interested in truly learning about people. Freiren even called her out as an oldest child she ever met.
Agreed. But on that note, no tournament arc will ever compare to Rosen Garten Saga... NONE!
6:58 I would say she’s like a Frieren who never met Flamme. Without Flamme I’m not sure Frieren would’ve ever agreed to go with Himmel.
Quick question. How do you "get" mana once you've used it? Does it take a certain amount of time or something? It's really unclear
WHAT DO YOU MEAN FERN DIDN'T BEAT ANOTHER MAGE IN A CRAZY ONE TO ONE FIGHT?! Fern killed Frieren's clone, and even in a 2 on 1 that's MIRACULOUS, because Frieren's DYING CLONE crushed Fern against the wall with a spell Fern couldn't even recognize as a spell because Frieren is that far beyond almost everyone.
Turns out Serie just failed everyone before talking to frieren because she was angry over having to meet frieren
Calling Serie a Friren who never met Himmel is a criminally underrated and accurate way to describe her character
No, it is an interesting take, but it falls short.
Frieren was obviously changed by her time with Himmel and the rest of the party. But Serie and Frieren were at odds, philosophically from their introduction to each other by Flamme.
I was fine with the final exam explanation for everyone except Frieren herself which ruined the arc's finale for me. Serie predeterminedly denying Frieren saying she isn't fit while simultaneously saying the only reason everyone else made it that far was due to Frieren's involvement undermines any value of the final exam for me. It would have made more sense if Serie outright denied Frieren from taking part in the final exam to keep the logic she uses to judge the others intact. She said the "failures" couldn't imagine beating her or were scared by her aura. One mage passed because she thought Serie was cute, another because she was willing to fight, another because he didn't immediately give up even though it seemed hopeless, and the ultimately Fern because she can see mana fluctuations better than others. They try to justify this by saying Serie is never wrong, but she has been countless times, she said Freiren wouldn't be an accomplished mage because of her love of "Useless" spells yet Frieren is one of the most well known mages with a title of "The last Great Mage". Serie says mana suppression is pointless yet she is impressed that Fern noticed it and is disappointed when her other pupils cannot notice it, if its useless as she says it wouldnt be a metric to judge people by. Even in the exam arc itself Serie was the only one to say Freiren is the only reason so many made it that far yet she later admits that wasn't the case. She is constantly wrong in just the handful of episodes we do see her in. The fact the show makes a big deal about her knowledge and judgement yet simultaneously disproves it is astounding. Like another already first class mage that couldn't imagine Serie's shield being destroyed showing he doesnt think Serie can be defeated.... the ones she already let be first class don't meet her standards. Frieren can imagine beating Serie as she succeeded in the destruction of her shield in the first exam showing Frieren meets Serie's requirements in every way in talent, skill, magic knowledge, and ultimately the will to succeed, yet she still denies Frieren's qualification. This intense, senseless bias of Serie's undermines the value of her own words and logic. Again the final exam was completely ruined from the viewers standpoint due to this large flaw in the exam. Sorry for the essay, I know its just the opinion of one random person just voicing my thoughts.
Bet you, Serie only suppresses her mana as another homage to her apprentices.
I always interpreted it as Serie simply weighing frieren on a whole different scale from the other participants. She simply is just not as strong as she SHOULD be for her age. Serie herself is suppressing her mana and the sheer size of it is incredibly massive despite that. And for that, she was failed.
do you have a bmg list?
your script writing is really good, and I agree with your analysis
but, and I hope this is taken as criticism not as an insult, your musical implementation is distracting,
specifically playing multiple songs on top of each other and the hard cuts from one song to another (in the middle of a song) takes me out of the experience. It made me want to click away from your video at its worst points.
I am subscribing and I hope to see your channel grow in the future,
Denkin didn't call magic a tool for combat, that was Wirbel. It's quite possible he would have agreed with that statement, especially when younger.
(Minor detail in a very good video)
2:34 does somebody know the name of this music?
zom 100 op maybe
Saying that the final test was the best of three is like saying this food is the best when the competitors are moldy and radioactive.
Great video 💯
3:22
i wouldn't call this falling for the same trick 1,000 times, 1% chance for it to not be a mimic i'm also taking it never stop gambling folks
I think that you have actually missed a few things. For example, Serie is really just Frieren in another 1-10,000 years. She mocks Frieren for suppressing her mana... yet you seem to have missed that she herself is doing the exact same thing, something that only Fern notices. I feel like you are missing part of the similarity of the two. Another point might simply be that Serie's Himmel is 10,000 years in the past. The end of the second test actually illuminates a bit of why Serie might have failed Frieren. Take one more thought from this. Frieren has spent the last 1000 years collecting spells... but what does Serie already have? ALL THE SPELLS! it's very very telling that Frieren is out doing exactly what Serie has already achieved. So I feel like your premise here is misplaced. The difference between the two is not that they approach magic differently, it is that they are at different places along that path.
Aaaand, subscribed.
but she used the create flowers spell herself
i still think it was a very arbitrary and mediocre ending, it would've been a fine plot piece to introduce serie, but as the ending? did not feel great to me. a vetting process for a final test makes no sense, that should be the first step. but i appreciate the perspective
I just want to give you some hopefully constructive critiscism. You sometimes layer two songs over one another (like in 7:20-7:36), it happens 4-5 times. It really confused me and made your voice really hard to understand. The music imo also changes far too quickly.
Really liked your analysis :)
serie being a foil to frieren is something I never really thought about. it was mostly just a grudge holding, antagonizing, different person. But saying that serie is just a frieren who never met Himmel just clicks so well. There's a sense of goofy emotionally humanity in Frieren's character that only seems to exist because of the goofy antics she witnessed with her old party. Zuri never had that.
Oddly enough... I think serie wouldn't even pass herself by her own standards. She lacks the introspection and confidence that most everyone else exhibits to her. Serie seems to believe what she does about magic and its purpose, not because she wants to believe it, but because it is the thing that makes the most sense to her. She's at a loss as to why people ahve favorite spells, just how frieren is at a loss as to why Serie doesn't. That uncertainty, or at least the settling for what only makes logical sense to Serie, is what disqualifies her from being a first class mage.
Just thought. Great video!
I don't think you understand that last test was supposed to be a 1v1 fighting but because of frieren it was changed because most participants would just die, they passed first 2 tests only because frieren was there
It is NEVER stated that it was meant to be 1v1 battles.
Only that the final exam is typically too dangerous for people who have managed to pass the first two by being carried by another persons greater skill.
Who passed the first test because of Frieren? Only Kanne and Lawine. And in the 2nd test Frieren's clone wouldn't have been there. Frieren didn't lead anyone to the bottom of the dungeon, everyone who made it there did it on their own.
@@MrSkinnyWhaleYou're forgetting the very fact that everyone else was on the verge of being defeated by their own clones while Frieren was dealing with her clone. Since none of the others actually faced Frieren's clone in battle, then even if you removed Frieren and her clone from the exam, it would still mean that most of the others would probably have still lost.
@syd.a.m but the only reason they were still fighting the clones at that point was because they had to give Frieren and Fern time. They had already made it to the bottom prior to that.
@@MrSkinnyWhale Yes, but in that case, the defense of the Spiegel's room would have been different. Perhaps it would be Denken, Sense, and Fern's clones protecting the room, or perhaps it would have been defended in an entirely different way. Regardless, in a battle of attrition, many of the examinees would have died since the clones can just respawn. Almost everyone passed this time because there was someone strong enough to break through to the Spiegel's room and stop the respawning, and even then it was a close one. Remove Frieren and her clone and the result might be different, with possibly even less people having passed.
The series is terrific! But as a german I cringe so hard when all these names get butchered. 😅
Wow...I feel like you are off on a lot but we all see things differently. I really dislike your opinions of Serie here and the selection criteria you chose...I think you've misread her and the 3rd test qualifications write a bit.
One thing I do agree with you on is that Serie doesn't approve of the type of mage Frieren is. Not because she holds a grudge but because she considers her to be a mage that has wasted her potential. She's sort of like a disapproving parent who wanted you to become a doctor but instead you decided to grow your hair long, move into the forest, wear a loin cloth and eat off the land while singing Kumbaya. She doesn't disrespect or even dislike Frieren, she doesn't respect her choices, which is a completely different thing. She flat out says that Frieren is relatively unskilled despite her age which is what frustrates her most. People will disagree with that assessment of Frieren but it's true and even Frieren agrees with her. She even tells Fern that Serie's intuition is always right. She knows what heights Frieren could attain if she had been more ambitious and it clearly bothers her.
Your criteria list
1. Of course the level of skill was considered in passing the third test in addition to her intuition. Some may forget that Serie has been able to oversee each of these mages throughout their tests just as she knew it was Frieren and who took down her barrier and how she knew Land wasn't only not there, but at home and even more specifically, drinking tea. As, Frieren says her intuition is always correct which is why she is able to pass or fail so easily. Observing how they performed in their tests was part one, how they reacted in her presence was certainly another.
I am assuming you are joking about your #2 criteria but in the event you were serious, no, Serie didn't approve Methode because she thought she was small and cute. Methode was approved because of her skill and confidence in Serie's presence. That comment if anything made Serie shake her head in disbelief.
3 & 5 I have no issue with.
4. Possibly but I doubt whether they agree or disagree with her is a factor. She passed several that didn't appear to have similarities or agreement with her way of thinking at all. Besides the whole mischaracterization of her puts that into question. You mentioned that she's placed herself above all others to oversee magic as if it's something that she was doing for ego, this wants worship or fame but you forget that Flamme asked her to take on that role in her will and years later she's honoring it. It only took her 1,000yrs of stubbornly refusing to do so.
6 is just funny. 😂
all i saw where FEET 1:54
Based
I thought it was the weakest part of the whole series. I'm aware of the underlying spiritual enlightened master principles that the writer obviously used. The west is forgetting these that are well known in the east.
yea but like is it really
awesome work, mr sexy voice
I cant stand how you pronounce serie 😭 zurie?? Otherwise nice video though; still enjoyed it nevertheless, just need to make clear im nitpicking.
I found this video to be rambly and all over the place. Despite being over 10 minutes long, not much of substance has been said.
Serie is the only bad character. WTF is wrong with her. Frieren would have a small chance to defeat Serie and she cant get first class mage????
Of course she can't. Because she has no ambition whatsoever to become one. It is very clear that the title means nothing to Frieren and she only joins to alleviate pressure from Fern. From the very beginning it was about Fern becoming a first class mage, not Frieren.
Frieren and Serie are pretty much equals, just in different fields. Frieren becoming a first class mage would actually devalue her because it would put her below Serie.
It seems you didn´t understand the character, or the story, at all. Serie is hugely disappointed of Frieren. She would have, being a long lived elf, the potential to follow in her footsteps, but instead Frieren, in Series eyes, "wasted" her life living in the woods and collecting "useless" spells.
That doesn´t mean Serie, or Frieren, is right in what they´re doing, they are just completely different characters.
Frieren doesn´t even care becoming a first class mage and Serie knows that very well.
I enjoy Serie very much as a character, because she´s so complex.
And yet, Serie seems jealous of Frieren,her deeds contradict serie's view of magic and she seems to unassumingly long for a connection like frieren have with Fern. Frieren is theorically weaker but became a legendary mage and is a better teacher, like Flamme..